senate list of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V), next to Marianne Thyssen and took it. The press has called Torfs one of the so-called "" of Belgian politics 2010. During an interview for De Zevende Dag, Torfs appeared wearing a tie with a white rabbit print on it, which prompted the nickname. As a member of CD&V he aspired to reconceptualize the political ideology of the party together with Inge Vervotte and others. According to Torfs, these attempts failed to broaden the internal debate within the party and didn't give rise to change within the party because of the highly rigid and hierarchical nature of the party system and its decision-making. From this perspective, he started to think about leaving politics in the end of 2012. In March 2013 he quit politics and announced his candidacy to become Rector of KU Leuven. Selected bibliography Het huwelijk als levensgemeenschap. Een kerkrechtelijke benadering, Leuven, Acco, 1990. Mensen en rechten in de Kerk, Leuven, Davidsfonds, 1993. De kardinaal heeft verdriet, Leuven, Uitgeverij Van Halewyck, 2002. Voor het zinken de kerk uit, Leuven, Uitgeverij Van Halewyck, 2004. Religie, vrede en onvrede, Gent, Larcier, 2005. Lof der lankmoedigheid, Leuven, Uitgeverij Van Halewyck, 2006. Het hellend vlak, Leuven, Uitgeverij Van Halewyck, 2008. Wie gaat er dan de wereld redden?, Van Halewyck, 2009. (Liberales prize winner 2009) References External links AXS Consulting Chaumont-Gistoux Rik Torfs (Henri) faculty page via Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Living people 1956 births Christian Democratic and Flemish politicians KU Leuven alumni Academic staff of KU Leuven Belgian non-fiction writers Flemish academics Flemish writers People from Turnhout Canon law jurists People from Heist-op-den-Berg Belgian Roman Catholics 21st-century Belgian politicians